chapman



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. s. CHAPMAN.

ENVBLOPE.

Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

No Model.) Q'Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. vS. CHAPMAN.

i velope having a UNITED. STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

MARo s. onAPMAN, on MANCHESTER,,coNNEcTIeU'n ENv'ELoPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 470,743, dated March15, 1892. Application tiled October 1'?, 18891 .Serial-'Na 327,377. (Nomodel.)

.To al? whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, MARo S. CHAPMAN, of Manchester, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new anduseful'lmprovement in Envelopes, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in lthe art canmake and use the same.`

The object of'the invention is to provide an envelope that shall havemeans for effeetually sealing it against opening without so destroymg oraltering the par-ts as to prevent any resealing withoutleaving clearproof of the fact that the envelope has been tampered with.

To this'end my invention consists inan enpeculiar sealing device, asmore particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a de- -tail vieT of one form ofenvelope embodying my invention, shown with the flap open. Fig.

2 1s a plan view of same closed. Fig. 3 is a detail view, on enlargedscale, in section through the gum seal and the edge of the envelope.Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified form of my invention, shownwithflap open` on one side. Fig. 5 is a detail view'in section, on enlargedscale, through the edge of I the envelope. Fig. 6 is a detail view ofanother modified form, shown with tiap open on one side. Fig. 7 is adetail view of another modified form, shown With flap open. Fig. 8

is a detail view in section through the seal' ing-edge, on enlargedscale, in position before sealing. Pig. 9 is a detail sectional View, onenlarge! scale, of the envelope sealed.

, In thi accompanying drawings the letter ct denotes the envelope orpackage, made, pret'- erably`, of paper and closed on three sides byfolding over the tia-ps or edges, the end flaps a being folded in first,sealed together at a, and the bottom ct then folded over and sealed tothe end flaps at the seams at, the edges of the bottom flap at thispoint being preferably serrated or roughened, so as to provide anadditional safeguardA against opening. When the envelope-blank is openedont, a broad band of gum, glue, or like adhesive material is smearedalong the lines where the folds are to go, so that when the envelope isfolded there is a'gnm seal b extending completely about three sides ofthe envelope, extending from erably so made las to have the the outeredge toa certain distance inward, the inner line of this gum seal beingdenoted by the dotted line b". The upper edge of the envelope is cutawayat c, so that when the top Hap cl is folded over the d are broughttogether and may be sealed, so thatagurn'seal is caused to extend acrossthe top of the envelope as well as about the bottom and sides. The backof the envelope, alongI the upper sealing layer, the gum portions beingindicated in the drawings by the surface shading infine lines. y

In addition to the .top iiap d the infolded gummed surfaces surface, isprovided with a l bottom iap is provided with supplemental flaps e, theunder surfaces of which arel gumrn'ed, so as to fold down upon the topflap after the latter has been sealed for the purpose -of affording an.additional safeguard. The supplemental flaps c are provided with anembossed device c or with a figure or mark made in a sympathetic inkthat will either evaporate or flow-readily under moisture and heat, sothat if any attempt is madeto unseal v the envelope the^sharpness of theembossed figure will be destroyed or the condition of the ink willdisclose the fact.y Y

Theedges of the envelope on at least three sides may be provided withembossed lines f by a suitable press or embossing tool, the substance ofthe paper being indented in sharplydefined lines, so that it rispractically impossible to separate this gummed and embossed edge Withouttearing or cutting through the substance of the papel'.

ope shown in Figs. 3 to S of the drawings. In these figures the envelopeis of slightly-dit'- ferent form so far as the several end and bottomfolds are concerned; but theyallembody the main features of my inventionthat re..

sides in the useof the solid gum seal all around the envelope, and theyhave the further security` the edge of the embossing. The top flaps,that are the last ones to b'e sealed, are pret`- 'opposite andcontact-faces of the flaps provided with layers ofgum, so that thegnnnned surfaces may be brought together and sealed, a more thoroughunion of the parts being possible who.. each is provided with a layer ofgum.

This feature of my invention is illustrated in the' forinofeuvelagainstopening by steaming of One feature of my improvement consists in makingthe top flap of the envelope with one or more deep indentations alongthe edge, as

' shown in Fig. 4, the edge of this indented portion being nearer thetop edge ot' the venvelope than is the inner edge of the gum seal.

The object of this is to prevent any lifting of the edge of the flapand. making a cut through the seal, which n cut. may afterward beeon-'cealed by refolding and sealing the top flap.

I claim as my invention--` 1. As an improved article of manufacture,

an envelope provided at its edge with a solid gum seal and au embossedline or lines along such seal, the upper flap having its under sur-4face covered with an adhesive material and Vsolid gum seal and anembossed line or lines along such seal, the upper flap provided with oneor more deep indentations and havingits under surface covered with anadhesive material and adapted to be sealed overa portion vof the lowerflap, and the lower flap having portions adaptedto be sealed over theupper `flap, all substantially as described.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, an envelope provided about itsedge with a solid gum seal and an embossed line or lines along suchseal, the upper ap having its under surface covered with an adhesivematerial and the lower flap having portions adapted to be sealed overthe upper flap, said portions being provided with a seal sensitive tomoisture or heat, all substantially as described.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, an envelope provided about itsedge with a solid gum seal and an embossed line or lines along suchseal, the end aps having a portion of their upper surface cut away, thetop flap having its under surface covered with au adhesive material andadapted to be sealed overa portion of the lower ap, and the lower flaphaving one or more portions adapted to be sealed over the upper flap,said portions being provided with a seal sensitive to moisture or heat,all substantially as described.

y MARO S. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. L. BURDETT, ARTHUR B. JENKINS.

